Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals
|genre = Business simulation |modes = Single player |platforms=Microsoft Windows }}Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals is a video game expansion pack for Zoo Tycoon 2 released October 17, 2007. The expansion focuses around extinct animals, mainly dinosaurs or ice age creatures, as well as more recently extinct creatures like the dodo, thylacine and quagga. This expansion pack follows the other expansion packs, Endangered Species, African Adventure and Marine Mania. Extinct Animals replaces and includes the animals and objects from the earlier Dino Danger Pack premium download. This expansion is similar to the Dinosaur Digs expansion of the first Zoo Tycoon. Gameplay '' being created in the Extinct Research Lab.]] Minigames Several new minigames (similar to the trick training games in Marine Mania) are included. These are, as follows: locating fossils, curing diseases, cloning animals, building skeleton jigsaws, and tranquilizing dinosaurs. Most of these get more challenging as you progress through the game. Dino rampage .]] This mode is only available when a dinosaur becomes upset with its living conditions. This causes it to go on a rampage, where it will destroy its exhibit, then break out and attempt to destroy the zoo and killing guests. However, the player can prevent such disasters by locating the enraged dinosaur and sedating it or forming a "Dino Capture Team" to catch the loose dinosaur. Development During 2006, in a similar way to how the ''African Adventure expansion was first confirmed, Amazon.com listed a strategy guide for Extinct Animals under its listings. It was listed as "Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct (working title)", showing Blue Fang Games were still in very early production and had not yet thought of a title. Nevertheless, in January 2007, Windows Vista released its 2007 gaming lineup as well as a promotional video featuring a few seconds of footage. Later, in April 2007, Games for Windows added an Extinct Animals page to their website and revealed several new pieces of information such as box art and animal confirmations. The text that was shown was in fact the same as in the previous Endangered Species. On May 24, an official press release was released on the official Zoo Tycoon website revealing that Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals will be released in "fall/autumn" with a total of 30 animals, making it the largest Zoo Tycoon 2 expansion pack to date. On amazon.com and .co.uk, it showed the release dates for Europe and the USA. Upon the arrival of E3 2007, Games for Windows and Blue Fang Games released a second promotional video of several new features and a set of screenshots. The Extinct Animals Games for Windows page was also edited with screenshots and new information. Zoo Tycoon.com, however, was still not updated for E3. In August 2007, Blue Fang Games released an official trailer showing many of the main features of the expansion, including sonar detection for fossils and minigames to clone creatures, as well as confirming several animals. In the same month Blue Fang employees on several fansites began releasing new information, confirming a total of eight unseen animals. In September 2007, the official Zoo Tycoon website was finally updated with a new Extinct Animals page, in addition to screenshots, the rest of the game's features, a "fansite kit", game demo and an official screensaver. Reception Extinct Animals received mixed to positive reviews on Metacritic. Critics pointed out outdated graphics and slow gameplay, but praised the great deal of new features and high playability. See also * List of Games for Windows titles References External links *Official Site *GameSpot Page Category:Video game expansion packs Category:Microsoft games Category:2007 video games Category:Games for Windows certified games Category:Video games developed in the United States Category:Windows games Category:Windows-only games Category:Blue Fang Games games Extinct Animals, Zoo Tycoon 2 Category:Dinosaurs in video games Category:Video games scored by Nick Glennie-Smith